Issues

As your Senator, during my first term in the Oregon State Senate, I worked with my Senate colleagues on criminal justice reform, funding for education at all levels, including career technical education programs, health care for all Oregonians, renters’ rights and protections, environmental justice, climate change, and new policies that will protect low wage workers. I was chief sponsor or co-sponsor of legislation that will protect and improve the lives of Oregonians. Closer to home, my actions and the support of my colleagues will bring millions of dollars to fund jobs in Lane County.

It was my privilege, as your Senator, to cast my vote for the largest transportation infrastructure package in the history of the State of Oregon. That package will bring Lane County and the cities of Eugene and Junction City an additional $102.5 million for roads improvement over the next seven years. That additional money will support improvements to Territorial Highway, bicycle infrastructure, safe school routes, and public transportation.

This year, the Oregon State Senate approved a robust package of capital construction and lottery backed bonds for significant projects in Lane County and across the state. Through this bonding, Elliott State Forest will remain in public hands and $100 million in bonding will satisfy the obligation to the Common School Fund. The Common School Fund distributes money to Oregon K-12 schools each year. Other projects which will improve life in Lane County include: $50 million to the University of Oregon for its new Knight Science Campus project; $8.3 million to Lane Transit District as part of the plan to seek federal funding for additional EmX lines; $8 million to Lane Community College for a new health care facility; $6 million to the Eugene Civic Alliance to move forward with KIDSPORTS to rebuild Civic Stadium; $5 million to Lane County to help purchase land for the new courthouse; and $750,000 to the Eugene Ballet Company to relocate to an improved facility.

These bond-funded capital construction projects will generate more than 1000 good-paying, local construction jobs.

While in Salem, I worked hard to keep the Junction City Hospital open and I am happy to report that the Junction City Hospital will not close. As your Senator, I remain committed to wise investments of public funds in mental health and substance abuse treatment programs for nonviolent offenders to reduce our prison population.